Where does “taunt” come from?
Taunt comes from Middle French tanter, from Old French tempter, from Latin tempto, ultimately from Latin teneo meaning to hold.
taunt (English): to make fun of ; to goad into responding, often...
Definitions
- to make fun of ; to goad into responding, often...
Ancestry of “taunt”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | tanter | to tempt, try, provoke |
| 2 | Old French | tempter | to tempt; to act as a temptation |
| 3 | Latin | temptō | — |
| 4 | Latin | tendō | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τένων | tendon, sinew |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |
Words derived from “taunt”